Birmingham, UK – 18th January 2016 – A free, 15-page guide put together by experienced teachers is now available to provide a proven, step by step approach to support teachers and teaching assistants faced with challenging, attention seeking behaviour by pupils in the classroom.

The new guidance, entitled “How to manage attention seeking students – A practical approach” is packed with practical advice and ideas for dealing with attention seeking behaviour and promoting successful classroom management.

Attention seeking behaviour is disruptive and wearing, making teaching difficult. If left unchecked, it can erode a teacher’s authority in the classroom. It also slows down learning for the rest of the class, and can create an unhelpful feeling of resentment in other pupils.

The guide’s step-by-step approach is fully explained in easy to understand language, to allow teachers seeking behaviour support to adapt the guidance and respond according to the situations that arise. The guide has been carefully designed to provide all the knowledge teachers need for successful behaviour management in these kinds of scenarios, so no additional resources are required.

The guide has been put together by two teachers with years of experience working directly with students in mainstream schools and with permanently excluded students in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). Co-authors Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton have also worked in mainstream schools and PRUs to help teachers manage the behaviour of difficult classes and students.

Simon has worked as the centre manager of a pupil referral unit, while Emma has managed behaviour support outreach services for many schools across Birmingham.

“If you’ve got a child in your class who constantly engages in behaviour to attract adult attention, this guide is for you,” explains Simon.

“It’s a sequence of steps that has been tested and proven at the chalkface, with an approach put together through trial and error, so we know what strategies work and which should be avoided.”

The guide explores the psychology behind such behaviour in students, and provides a helpful, detailed case study to demonstrate exactly how the recommended steps can be applied. It also highlights key concepts and provides a practical exercise in embedding the steps presented, with clear explanations on how well chosen language can positively affect behavioural outcomes.

“We wanted to make our approach as accessible to as many people as possible,” explains Emma.

“We are sharing our proven response sequence for free, so you can benefit from our experience. That way, you can spend more time on teaching, and less on managing behaviour.”